Private After Months Apart

[Mathieu Brion]

After Months Apart

The smile seemed to be permanently etched into his face. It had been there when he woke up this morning and it was still there now. This was the day where he would finally get to meet Inara again - after they had spent too much time apart. It was not as if they had not spoken: They had. But he still missed her and was excited to finally meet with her in person again. Clad in a simple t-shirt and completely unarmed, his hands clasped around the flowers he had brought with him. It was only when he looked down at them that he remembered not to hold them too tightly, it would break the stems.

While the spaceport was busy, it was one of the capital's smaller ones and generally saw less traffic than the larger ones. It was a good choice for which one she would land at as reuniting where it was all too crowded would not have been quite as pleasant. It was a bit further from the centre and his speeder was getting repaired, but between the two of them, taking the shuttle wouldn't be a problem.

Much had happened during the last few months and in a way, the large Morellian envied her for having been able to stay so far away from the capital. Mathieu had been lucky, however - for the most part, he had been able to avoid getting involved too, seeing as his full attention had to be paid to truly recovering and finding his centre after all the battles he had put himself through before. Staying away completely was hard - of course it was - but at least, he had not been as involved as everyone else.

Once more, he turned his gaze to the arrivals port - her ship was bound to arrive very soon and he expected to see her shortly after that. The colourful bouquet was as vibrant as ever, standing out well when compared to the more bland colours he wore. With an increasingly bright smile, he let out a heavy but happy breath. This was going to be fantastic.

Inara Basai

 

[Inara Basai]

Inara tried to sit still in her seat, but it was increasingly difficult. The closer her transport came to Commenor, the more she grinned and fought the urge to bounce giddily in her seat. She slid the datapad from her bag and held it, thinking that she ought to send Mathieu another message. But in the end, she pressed the device flat against her lap and tried to busy herself with watching their approach out the viewport.

Just chill, he already knows you're almost here, she reminded herself.

Though they had been apart, she'd made sure to keep in contact. And when conversation via the holo wasn't feasible, she had sent little messages to him – even if it was just a 'have a good day ' or '<3.'

The thoughts of Mathieu and any messages she received from him during her time away had gotten her through many long days and nights. Lonely nights. She often imagined that she was in their tent, just like when they'd been camping. Sometimes, she felt like he was there with her – so much so that when she opened her eyes in the morning, she was surprised to find that he wasn't there at all. Inara had been counting down the days until leave, and she was about to burst now that it was finally here.

As the transport landed, she collected her bag from the overhead compartment and joined the line of people waiting to exit. Inara bit her lip and ran a nervous hand through her wavy hair. Why was she nervous all of the sudden? What if things had changed since they'd been separated? What if... no, no. All of the thoughts dissolved when she easily spotted Mathieu's tall form standing, waiting.

A large grin appeared on her face, and she walked down the ramp. Then, walked briskly until she was ahead of the crowd, and then ran. Her arms were already outstretched by the time she closed the gap, ready for him to scoop her up. “Matty!”

Mathieu Brion

 

[Mathieu Brion]

After Months Apart

And there she was. He saw her as soon as the doors swooshed open and a bright smile immediately grew on his lips as he started taking long strides towards her. The strides turned into a light jog and the two finally met in the middle.

"Inara!" he exclaimed, happy to finally being able to be with her in person again. As soon as she came within range of his arms, Mathieu opened them to bring her in. Without giving it as much as a second thought, he raised her up, elevating her eye-level much higher than his own before lowering her for a proper hug. Standing up straight, he feet would still not be touching the ground.

With the side of his head against hers, he whispered "I've missed you. I've missed you so much" as his mouth was close to her ear. The permanent smile still sat stubbornly on his lips as he leaned back a little to look at her. Mathieu couldn't help but to let out a small and happy laugh "I'm glad you're here"

The two shared a few more intimate moments as he leaned his forehead against hers as relaxed for a bit. It had been a while since he felt as good as he did now. Finally setting her down onto the ground, he stretched out his hand and spoke with a warm voice "Let me take your bag." Mathieu gave her a look-over, scanning her from top to toe "They've been treating you right. Right? No lost weight or insane schedules?"

Whilst talking, he pointed towards the exit, seeing as that was where they would be going.

Inara Basai

 

[Inara Basai]

Soon, Inara found herself right where she wanted to be – in Mathieu's embrace. She matched his wide smile with one of her own and wrapped her arms around him as he pulled her in for a hug. Her feet dangled above the ground, but she was comfortable and safe there in the Jedi's arms.

“I've missed you, too,” she'd murmur in response, and it was well evident in how tightly she held onto him. She reveled in the feeling of being close to Mathieu again, and beamed up at him when her feet were back on the ground.

“I'm glad to be here with you,” she said, handing over her bag when he kindly asked to take it. “Commenor is lovely.”

Her eyes were busy taking in the sights of the small space port when Mathieu looked her over. The architecture here was beautiful, it was every bit the elegant place she'd imagined. She blinked and then smiled when he asked about her well-being. “I've been alright. Keeping busy, but nothing too crazy, don't worry.”

Inara glanced towards the exit and took hold of Mathieu's free hand as they started in that direction. She was excited to get out into the city and explore with him. His appearance hadn't changed much, either. But, of course, she knew that things could be different below the surface. In truth, she'd been worried. How could she not? Especially now that she knew the life of the Jedi was similar to that of the soldier.

“And you?” she asked, dark eyes immediately searching his face. “Things have been tense for the Jedi lately, haven't they?”

Mathieu Brion

 

[Mathieu Brion]

After Months Apart

His gaze fondly lingered on her eyes after taking the bag in his hand. Almost absentmindedly, he threw it over his back, keeping his eyes locked with hers. While he did hear her comment on the planet, that really wasn't where his attention was drawn. Still, the young Morellian tore his gaze from her and looked around. The spaceport was not the largest one around the Capital but it had a pleasant design and offered a good view over the city. "It is" he said, fumbling over the words before looking back to Inara "It's no-..." in the last second, he stopped himself from continuing the sentence, knowing how cheesy what he was about to say was. Instead, he let out another "It is"

It was good to hear that her schedule had remained somewhat sane after having completed his inspection. "Well, that's good. Too much stress is never healthy" he said, keeping a light tone. Still, it was hard not to worry at least a little for he knew how easy it was to keep personal hardships in, especially when it came to stress and personal training. But all he could do was to be supportive and accessible if she wanted to speak, otherwise, he would take her word for it and try to assume that it was all good.

And soon, they were off. He noticed her hand reaching for his and slowly allowed their hands to meet as they walked. Gently, Mathieu wrapped his larger hand around hers as she took hold of his. It was hard to describe, but being with her once more just felt so right. Things soon took a darker turn as she asked about him. The Padawan knew that she could see straight through him and averted his gaze from hers, allowing it to drop down to the ground instead. He let out a short "euhm" whilst considering what to say. Although he had mostly been allowed to rest by the temple, it had been a tough time with many horrific memories and a need to work things through. And then there were the politics.

"I'm alright now" he said, answering her honestly. For while he had felt bad in the past, he had worked through most of it by now. "And..." he continued but paused to let out a chuckle and a kind smile "Fortunately, I have been spared of most of the politics. Although, it's hard to avoid it completely. I... I hope it'll be alright"

Soon, they arrived outside. The fresh air and soft breeze was quick to welcome them to the temperate planet. His grip around her hand tightened for a moment as he looked down at her "Let's go drop you stuff off." His gaze went towards the city shuttle and then to the other station nearby before coming back to Inara "Want to take that touristy one? We could see the main sights before hopping off"

Inara Basai

 

[Inara Basai]

As soon as Mathieu's hand wrapped around her own, Inara found her heart fluttering. A feeling that wasn't dampened when he looked away, and spoke of politics. She gave him a soft nod. Indeed politics were difficult to avoid completely, though she'd often wished it was possible. “I'm sure everything will be just fine,” she said, nodding.

Of course, there was no way for her to know for sure... but she could always hope.

“Sure,” she said, her smile returning. “I am a tourist here, after all.” It wasn't often that she got to explore the worlds in Silver Concord space like this. Most of the time, she was limited to whatever was just outside the Antarian Ranger bases she was stationed at. Even then, there was little free time to just wander about.

Firmly clasping Mathieu's hand, she craned her neck to find the nearest city shuttle. “There we go,” she said, pointing. They navigated the sidewalk, weaving their way through the crowd on their way to the shuttle. Inara let go of Mathieu's hand to board, and she filed down the narrow aisle until she found two empty seats. She slipped into the seat by the window, and looked up affectionately to Mathieu as he joined her.

“This is going to be such fun,” Inara said, leaning close to Mathieu and nesting her head against his shoulder for a moment. And she drew in a breath, taking in his scent, too. It was so good to be together again, and it could only get better from here, she was sure of it.

Mathieu Brion

 

[Mathieu Brion]

After Months Apart

A victorious grin spread across his lips as he looked at her happily. Inara had just admitted to being a tourist, something which he was quick to confirm with an "Uh-huh" he let out a light chuckle before continuing "You certainly are." His teasing was all for show, however, seeing as he had been in the very same spot as her just a few months ago. Still, he looked forward to exploring the sights with her. While he had already done it on his own or with a fellow Padawan, he was certain that it would be much better when she was there with him.

When Inara looked for the shuttles, the Padawan rested his gaze on her, enjoying finally getting to see her in the flesh again to even bother looking. She found the platform way sooner than he had hoped but they would have plenty of time together now. Then she started moving - Mathieu lingered for just a brief moment, letting her hand pull his, hoping to catch her eyes for a glimpse before catching up to move alongside her.

Once they boarded the shuttle, the large Morellian joined her right after putting her bag on the rack above the seats on the opposite side of the aisle, making it easy to keep an eye on. Inara didn't have to do much to put him in a good mood, and seeing her look up at him with a smile, he quickly responded with a bright smile of his own before leaning in to brush his cheek against her forehead. Sitting back against his seat again, Mathieu could feel as Inara leaned in against his right, causing him to look down to her with a fond gaze.

Soon, she would feel his arm shift under her head. It was something which would cease just as soon as he found her hand. Again, he ventured to hold it in his as he spoke a soft "It will be amazing"

It was not long before the shuttle's engines started producing a bit more noise. They were leaving the platform and ascending up into the skies. "Aren't you going to have a look at the sights?" he asked with an amused tone as he peered down to her as she still leaned against his side. He continued by brushing his chin against her hair before giving words another go, playfully calling for her name "Inara, you're going to miss the city."

Inara Basai

 

[Inara Basai]

Still cuddling close, she felt his hand wrap around her own once more, and she gave his fingers a gentle squeeze. Soon, the shuttle lifted off and a quiet smile formed on her lips as she continued to nestle against Mathieu's side, head on his shoulder. And as he urged her to look down at the city, she tilted her head up slightly to see him.

“Fine, fine,” she said with a laugh. Reluctantly, she shifted in her seat and turned her gaze out the viewport. From their comfortable vantage point, the cityscape stretched out below – highlighting the lovely architecture. Everything had a bit of grace to it, she thought. This was the sort of place classy people lived; the kind that went out to the opera house and dined at the finest restaurants. It'd be nice to try out the life for a few days at least.

Stealing a glance at Mathieu, she smiled. “So, what are we doing tonight?” Inara blinked, eyelashes fluttering at him. Of course, she was looking forward to spending some quality time with Mathieu, but she wasn't sure if he'd already made plans. “Dinner somewhere nice? Oh! Or room service?”

Their transport shuddered slightly, which made her sit a bit straighter and turn her eyes towards the cabin. It was fine, right? She didn't know much about flying herself, but she had a feeling that these things sometimes happened.

Mathieu Brion

 

[Mathieu Brion]

After Months Apart

As Inara turned to gaze out over the city, Mathieu shifted his eyes to her. Maybe it was unfair of him to ask her to take in the cityscape while he did precisely what she had seemed to be desiring. But then, he had already seen the city and while he had also seen Inara, she was much more pleasant to look at and at this point, they had not met in quite some time.

A wide smile grew on his lips as she looked up to him, fluttering her eyelashes at him as she asked what the plans were for the evening. "Whatever you want" he said, crossing his legs and shifting in the seat, turning to face her with more than just his face. "I thought of a few alternatives. Stop me if something sounds interesting" he said, letting his eyes shoot up for a few moments as he refreshed his memory. Naturally, Mathieu also noticed the shudders but after throwing a glance towards the front, he turned back to Inara - there was no reason to be running scared now - or at least so he thought. The shuttle was larger than most other speeders traveling along the same lane and professional pilots tended to know what they were doing.

"Perfect" he thought, looking out the window and seeing that they were going lower, past a treeline. It was a good time for him to distract her for a little bit. And with that, he started to list a few of the options he had consider "There's this little place with traditional Commenor food in an alleyway by the Merchant Square, it's kind of tucked away but the food there is so good. And then there's the Mangons", it has the best wines and fitting three course meals. I've also been practicing my own use of spices, we could alw-...

The sentence was cut short as he felt something through the force. It was a sudden sense of danger - but his senses were still not honed to the point where this warning would have much of a meaningful impact. Almost as soon as he grew silent, an overwhelming sound of glass being splintered and metal crashing against metal erupted while the shuttle came recoiled back. It immediately started to spin as it quickly started to fall down towards the surface. Almost as if by instinct, the Padawan hurled himself over her, hoping to keep her safe from debris or whatever else might be coming at them. With one hand under her back and the other holding on tight to the chair, Mathieu used his large body as a shield and enhanced his physical capacities with the force to withstand more blows.

With his eyes closed tight, Mathieu hugged her hard. At this moment, he filtered out the needs of the other passengers and himself. What mattered was that Inara would be alright.

Inara Basai

 

[Inara Basai]

Inara canted her head thoughtfully as Mathieu listed some of the local options. She definitely wanted to try some Commenori cuisine while she was here, but she was curious about Mathieu's practice with spices. A smile started to spread across her face, but froze as soon as he stopped speaking.

Something was wrong.

Her stomach lurched, a sensation of being dropped down fast. Inara let out a gasp as the shuttle rocked violently. She felt Mathieu's strong arm around her, and then her view of the cabin was obscured as he himself acted as a protective shield. The sound of her heartbeat drowned everything out – the screaming the breaking glass, and the twisting metal. When it was clear that they were indeed falling, Inara's hands gripped Mathieu's shirt. And though he was the one protecting her, Inara's thoughts were only of him.

Impact.

Her eyes opened to a frighteningly misshapen passenger cabin. There were cries in the smoky air, and the angle of the craft immediately made it all the more disorienting. “Matty?” She grabbed for him. “Are... you alright?” she asked in a hushed but urgent voice.

Mathieu Brion

 

[Mathieu Brion]

After Months Apart

It was not long before the shuttle swivelled down and crashed down onto the ground underneath. It was fortunate that they weren't flying all that high up when the crash happened for if they did, the impact would be much more devastating. Mathieu felt how his back was hit by a number of unknown objects as they crashed down but through the protection of the force, he was confident that nothing would cause too dramatic injuries.

For a few moments, everything seemed to blend together, sounds, shapes, forms and colours. Even then, he called out for her "Inara!" He could barely hear his own voice and tried once more "Inara!" before his senses slowly seemed to return again. At first, he felt how his back was a little cold - pieces of his shirt had been torn but he was feeling alright. Then he faintly heard her question as he moved forth, finally feeling her soft touch on his skin again "Inara" his voice was filled with relief but he would still look her over to see if she had any visible injuries.

Once he felt confident that she wasn't too badly injured, he brought her in close for a hug. Meanwhile, he closed his eyes, hoping to shut out what was happening around them. But even when he closed his eyes, he could still hear the pained screams and smell the terrible odour and through the force sense the suffering of those around him. And deep down, he knew that he could have done more to save them. If only he had stayed calm and focused. If only he had been less selfish. Worse than that, he felt like, if it happened again, he would probably still have made the same choice and looked out for Inara before anybody else.

Mathieu would do it again now. "We need to get out of here" it was never safe to stay around a recently crashed ship and judging by the smell, it was burning somewhere. For now, the large Padawan would ignore the other passengers. Taking her by the hand he looked down to her "We need to find an emergency exit."

Inara Basai

 

[Inara Basai]

“I'm okay,” she whispered, to reassure him and maybe herself, too.

Her arms wrapped around him as he pulled her in for a hug. They were alive; the two of them could certainly breath a synchronized sigh of relief. But they weren't out of danger yet. However, now that she knew Mathieu was unharmed – save for some superficial wounds that she could see to later – her medic mind was a swarm of activity.

As Mathieu said urgently that they needed to get out, she knew he was right. Smoke burned her eyes, and it appeared to be billowing out from the engine room. There really wasn't time to lose. Inara looked up as Mathieu mentioned the emergency exit. In a craft like this, there should be several – but she had no idea just how accessible they would be. And as he clasped her hand, she stood up with him but he'd feel a tug as Inara hesitated.

Her eyes were scanning the other passengers.

Some were still physically fit, some were injured... but all of them were shaken. Mathieu had an edge being a trained Jedi, he knew life or death situations. And so did she. These people, however, were civilians, completely unprepared.

“W-we have to help,” she finally stammered. Inara gave Mathieu's hand an affectionate squeeze, she knew that he wanted her to be safe. And she wanted the very same for him. But right now, she felt duty calling – even as 'off duty' as she was.

She put a hand on an elderly woman's shoulder. “It's going to be okay,” she said. “He's a Jedi,” she indicated Mathieu with a nod of her head. “We'll get you out of here.” The gray-haired woman was conscious, but the man next to her was not, he was slumped over with his head against the glass of his view port. Inara did her best to reassure her that they'd see to her husband, too. And she felt the eyes of the rest of the passengers on them, too.

They had their work cut out for them.

Mathieu Brion

 

[Mathieu Brion]

After Months Apart​

And off they went as Mathieu actively looked for the emergency exit. But then came the tug at his hand. It was not forceful a forceful one, in fact, it almost seemed tender, in a way. Turning to look at her, Mathieu searched her eyes for what she had on her mind. They were most certainly in a rush but if she had something to say, he would be there to hear it. But instead of finding her eyes to meet his, Inara was gazing out over the passengers. The large Padawan looked quizzically at her, wondering why she stopped. His gaze soon turned into a rather regretful one, conveying a silent "No. Please, don't"

But she did. Part of him wanted to say no, to pull them out of there and ensure their safety. But another part knew that she was right - they had to help, it was the right thing to do - not to mention the thing which would have been expected of a Jedi. In truth, Mathieu wasn't sure whether he really wanted to do what was expected of him as a Jedi, at least not when compared to the safety of Inara. For a few brief moments, he looked at her indecisively. It was enough time for her to turn around and get to work. To do her duty. With that, he let out a deep breath and joined her.

"Hello, ma'am" he produced a warm voice to greet the elderly lady whom Inara had already introduced him to. While it could sometimes be hard to tell what shape someone was in, it was clear that this woman was well past her prime. With no time to waste, Mathieu bent down to help her undo her belt before turning around into a kneeling position, inviting her to hop onto his back. Looking up to his side once she had joined him, Mathieu spoke to the elder "I will take you outside, and then come back again, okay?" Receiving a nod in response, he turned the other way, to Inara "Stay safe, I'll be back" Then, he started to make his way further down the corridor until he found an exit.

The air outside was smoke filled - but it was far better than it was inside the shuttle. Finally taking deep breaths again, he marched on towards a somewhat distant treeline that had not been touched by the shuttle on its descent. The Padawan raised an arm to point at the location "Over there! Gather over there!" hoping that the ones who had been good enough to get out on their own and weren't in a panicked run into nowhere would be able to take care of each other at a safe distance. "Don't stay by the ship, come with me!" he said, waving yet another couple over to join them by the treeline.

Inara Basai

 

[Inara Basai]

The Morellian had a big heart; it was one of the many reasons that Inara was so fond of him. Though, she could see the conflict in his expression, she knew he would help the others. “Don't worry, I will.” she said to reassure him. As he helped the elderly woman up and out of the transport, Inara began to go down the row of passengers.

“Please,” she urged them. “If you can stand – make your way to the exit.”

She tried to keep panic from making her voice shake. These frightened passengers needed calm right now. Inara helped a few people up to their feet and turned a glance over her shoulder as they began to amble towards the exit that Mathieu and the elderly woman had gone out. Her dark eyes also flickered towards the main cabin. There had been no announcements from the pilot or crew, and it left her fearing the worst for them.

Shifting back to focus on the task at hand, she slid into the elderly woman's seat. The husband she'd left behind was pale, motionless. Inara's stomach dropped at the sight of him, but as she pressed her fingers to the side of his neck, she felt a pulse. It was weak, but it was there.

This was definitely not an ideal situation.

There were not any stretchers or triage crew to rely on – until they arrived.She didn't want to risk moving him and knew she couldn't do so alone, anyway. Inara gently tilted his head back to keep his airway open and gave a quiet assurance that she'd keep him safe. Next, she moved to the passengers that were injured, but still conscious. A young woman with a head wound signaled that she could stand, and Inara looped the woman's arm over her shoulders and started for the exit.

Mathieu was doing a good job, he was keeping the passengers together, but away from the crash site. As the smoky air outside found her, she coughed, but kept going until she could leave the injured woman in a safe place with the others.

“Oh, Matty,” she said. “There's more--” Inara cut herself off as she swallowed hard, her eyes already turning back to the ship.

Mathieu Brion

 

[Mathieu Brion]

After Months Apart​

Coughs, panicked screaming and the daft sound of burning all blended together in the background as he got closer to the treeline. It was a good thing - something which protected him from feeling the pain and fear in specific individuals. He was aware of the emotional turmoil that the group had collectively, but it was not as close as it could have been. Soon, he bent down to allow the elderly woman to leave his back and carefully take a seat, leaning against the tree trunk behind her.

Mathieu crouched before her "Are you alright?" he asked, receiving a nod in between coughs. He determined that she was as good as could be expected and turned around to help more people. On his way back to the shuttle, he saw a middle-aged couple emerging from the vehicle. The husband's left leg didn't look much like a leg at all, forcing him to lean heavily on his wife. Moments before they passed each other by, both of them fell, way too close to the wreckage and smoke to be safe. After some fast decision making, Mathieu opted to help them first. "Go over there, I'll bring him" he hollered whilst moving to pick the man up. In a way, it was bothersome that the wife remained despite being told to leave - but it was also sweet, for she remained by his side until she could see that the Jedi was truly able to help on his own.

Arriving by the treeline a second time, Mathieu slowly put the middle-aged husband down. His eyes glanced over the destroyed leg but he had no idea what could be done to save it - or if it was even possible to begin with. His eyes lingered on the couple for a while before he turned around without saying anything. It was hard to find much to say, when there was so little which he could do to help them.

Just as he turned around, Inara appeared behind him. A relieved breath escaped him whilst saying "Inara" He was thanking his lucky stars that she was alive and safe. He put his hand on her shoulder to hold it tight whilst looking her in the eyes. He did not want to part ways with her but they both had work to do and with that, the large Padawan slowly nodded. Running back into the burning vessel was not very appealing when Inara was right there. But the thought of her now being safe made it way more tolerable than leaving her on the ship like earlier. Without uttering another word, he let go of her shoulder and turned to jog back to the ship to find more people who needed help getting out.

Inara Basai

 

[Inara Basai]

Inara offered a faint smile as Mathieu gave her shoulder a squeeze. She gazed up at him, knowing they both needed to get back to work and help out. But just having him nearby was a great comfort, and she knew they would have time to re-connect later.

The group of passengers gathered was growing. Inara would follow Mathieu back towards the crash site and was ready to help direct the next batch of passengers. By now, the area was bustling – bystanders were also standing by to help. And so, Inara got them to assist with bringing those with minor wounds to the forest line.

Meanwhile, she'd focus on those that needed more attention.

It was a difficult task without the help of her ranger medical kit. But she made do with what she had – the ability to triage and provide basic treatment on the fly. It wasn't long before there was a make-shift triage area near the forest. Fortunately, there had been no deaths yet. However, the elderly man from before was in delicate shape – the next hour or so would prove critical. Inara had bandaged his head with some gauze and wrappings from a standard kit that a local had brought out.

Crouching in the row of patients, she looked up to see that the authorities were on the ground now. Thank goodness. Inara craned her neck to see Mathieu, but didn't immediately see him – perhaps he was still helping at the site or even giving an account to the local law enforcement about what happened.

“It's going to be okay now,” she said in a quiet but hopeful tone to the injured. “We're going to get you all to the medical center right away.”

She spoke like she was part of the team; it was a force of habit. But, she knew that she wouldn't be joining them on the next part of their journey. After all, she was just a visitor here on Commenor. As the teams with stretchers moved in, she met them with a smile and began to help get the patients loaded up.

“I'm a medic,” she explained to those that had come to help. “We've suffered no casualties out here.” Inara gestured broadly to the line of injured. “But I'm not sure --” her eyes drifted back towards the crash site, where she presumed the flight crew was deceased. But once the patients had been placed on the transport, the medical teams left her behind. And Inara stood still, watching them go, feeling conflicted by her usual duty and the fact that today she was just another civilian.

Mathieu Brion

 

[Mathieu Brion]

After Months Apart​

The journey back to the ship did not take long. The vessel was much emptier by the time he got there again with most passengers having been able to leave, either on their own or by the help of those they were travelling with. Unlike other public transport, this one was specifically made for tourists which meant that there were no impoverished people there who used it for warmth. In fact, there were much fewer loners overall. Among the few who remained, many seemed to be on their way out. Some were foolish enough to try to get their belongings with them while others were slower, but still, on the move. Taking a quick sweep, the Padawan moved towards the back of the ship where the smoke was less dense. Eventually, he found a family of three. Both parents were crouched over their child. For a moment, Mathieu feared the worst but then he saw that the young alien still seemed to be alive and well, albeit crying. Her leg was stuck underneath some debris.

Crouching down himself, the large Morellian took a look at the situation. It seemed like the leg was not badly hurt, just stuck fast. "I'm a Jedi, let me help" he said, knowing that it was an effective way of gaining access. In this case, it meant that they carefully stood aside, giving him space to work in. While possessing a formidable physique on its own, he chose to enhance it further with the force before starting to lift the debris off of the girl. While it may have been possible for him to lift it without the aid of the force, this allowed him to do it with greater control and thereby with a lower risk of injuring the Mirialan underneath. Once she was freed, the girl was quickly scooped up by her father and with that, the family departed.

With the sweep to the rear finished, Mathieu made his way to the front. But once he got near, he quickly realised that the smoke was too thick and it was way too hot to push onwards to the cockpit. Had he studied better and learned more, it might have been possible for him to go in. But as things stood now, there was simply no way. It was another failure. One which had to motivate him in the future - but there was nothing that could be done about it now. Instead, he left the ship, satisfied that those who could be saved were now in safety.

Upon arriving outside by Inara again, she was already speaking to the rescue workers whom had just arrived. Seemingly a little out of breath, he spoke after she did "The passenger area is mostly clear." he paused for a moment "I couldn't get to the cockpit though" It prompted the rescue workers to put on some extra equipment before making a try themselves. It put Mathieu's mind at ease to see that professionals would be going in, with all their experience, training and gear to keep them safe. Still, his failure might have cost any survivors precious minutes. Slowly but surely, more transports departed as patients were moved to a hospital.

Carefully, Mathieu took a deep breath and stepped up behind Inara "Well" he whispered as they watched yet another transport depart. The large Padawan put his hands around her shoulders "Everyone needs to rest sometimes" he said after hazarding a guess at what it was that was going through her mind.

Inara Basai

 

[Inara Basai]

Inara's shoulders relaxed when she felt Mathieu's strong hands give them a squeeze. A faint smile formed on her lips at his words; he was right – and he knew just what she was thinking. Turning, she faced Mathieu and wrapped her arms around his middle. She pressed the side of her face against his chest and closed her eyes for a long moment before saying anything.

“We should probably go get checked in,” she said quietly. Of course, she sensed the hustle and bustle of the wreckage at her back. But turning her eyes away helped, otherwise she might have stood and stared and felt helpless even longer.

She tilted her head up to see him. Somehow, their leisurely trip had taken quite the turn. And Inara couldn't help but feel a measure of guilt now. How could they simply waltz off and enjoy themselves after such a tragic accident? At the same time, a conflicting feeling tugged at her mind – she was glad to be alive, a feeling she admittedly wanted to chase after. Soldiers knew quite well, tomorrow was never a promise.

“Our bags,” she observed, her head turning to glance over her shoulder. Many of the other passengers had been ushered away after giving statements or taken into the care of the medics. “I suppose we can leave our names and hotel with them, if they can't get to it now.” Inara's meek personality won; she didn't want to inconvenience anyone or slow down the investigation that would surely take some time to complete.

Besides, Inara already had what she needed most; Mathieu.

Mathieu Brion

 

[Mathieu Brion]

After Months Apart​

When she turned to lean against him, Mathieu brought his hand around her back and pressed the other against the back of her head. Hugging her was something which he could treasure in an entirely different way after just having feared that he might loose her. Of course, it was not the first time for he remembered how they had fought together on Velmor before - but it always felt special after such an occasion. He could feel her jaw brush against his chest as she spoke, gently letting his hand follow her head as she looked up to him.

His gaze lingered on the relief workers behind her - watching as they rushed about to do their duty while he could be there with her. It was only after a little while that he looked down at her "We should" he said, his voice soft and relieved of the burden that it seemed to have carried when they were still working to save those who had been in the shuttle with them. For a while, he just stood there, keeping her in his arms - it was far from the most pleasant spot to stand in - someone was sobbing behind a tree, officers were hollering orders at the rescuers and there was a less than pleasant smell still lingering in the air. But even then, there was a sense of peace in keeping her close - something which allowed him to lock out the distractions of what was going on around them.

Eventually, she started to move once more, shifting her focus to the present and in particular, their items. Mathieu didn't bring anything of significance since he was just picking her up - but he wouldn't be surprised to find that she had. And so, he asked "Did you have anything important in it?" while taking a step towards the shuttle, fully prepared to extract her bag if the need was there. Maybe he would upset the firefighters but that was a problem for later.

Inara Basai